1. Field
The present disclosure relates to the management of connections on a conference bridge, such as an audio and/or video conference bridge, and more specifically relates to the detection and correction or self-repair of noisy connections on a conference bridge.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Audio conferencing has become a major business productivity tool. Many companies prefer audio conferencing over traveling due to the associated savings in travel, manpower, and scheduling costs.
Conferencing participants are often frustrated when there is noise on the line. This becomes a major inconvenience and obstacle to productivity when all participants are told to disconnect and re-join the conference, just to find out that the noise remains. The frustration level increases in proportion to the number of participants and, in some instances, the distance between the participants. Asking participants to mute their phones often does not solve the problem because the culprit may not be the devices but the internal conferencing system. Hanging up and re-connecting may result in an offending participant being connected to the same bad port again.
Hosts can selectively mute participants, but this will substantially impede the group discussion, which is the primary purpose of conducting conference calls. In addition, participants may not know that they are the offending parties.